Jumping bellows



March 21, 1961 DUDEK JUMPING BELLOWS Filed Nov. 10, 1952 INVENTOR MS fa w a M m D m 2,975,855 Patented Mar. 2i, lfifii 2,975,855 JUIVWING BELLOWS Ludwig Dudek, Quellenstrasse 145/ 7, Vienna, Austria Filed Nov. 10, 1952, Ser. No. 319,739 2 @luims. (Cl. 182-137) The jumping bellows is a rescue appliance mainly for use by fire brigades in order to cushion the fall of human beings jumping from elevated storeys. The bellows are suitably made from linen canvas and consist of a single cell or a plurality of cells. Jumping mats provided with inflating valves and inflatable by compressed air are known. As compared therewith the subject of the invention has the advantage of requiring no compressed air because when the top part of the bellows is pulled upwardly rarefied air spaces are formed inside the bellows and the outside air will automatically flow into such spaces through the suction holes.

An example of the subject of the invention is shown in the drawing.

Fig. l is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention in substantially square form.

Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, are a top plan view and side elevation showing an embodiment of the invention having a cylindrical periphery and hexagonal top and bottom members.

Figs. 4 and 5, respectively, are views similar to those of Figs. 2 and 3 and show an embodiment with downwardly tapering cells.

In all figures, like references designate corresponding parts.

The jumping bellows l is subdivided into several cells 2, the common top face of which is formed by the jumping sheet 3, which is preferably reinforced on its underside by diagonal straps 4. The top corners of the bellows are provided with handles 5, the lower corners with footstraps 6. In the example shown the bottom 7 of the jumping bellows has the same shape and size as the jumping sheet 3. An air suction hole 8 is provided at any point of at least one of the outer walls of each cell. Whenthe cell is loaded, that hole serves as a barrier or throttle valve to prevent rapid escape of the air contained in the bellows. In the example shown the central cell is larger and has a larger suction hole 9 than the other cells. For this reason it has a gentler effect than the latter and deflects the falling load toward the center of the bellows. Where only a single cell is provided, the same is suitably arranged as a center cell in the middle of a jumping sheet that may be available, e.g.

The jumping bellows functions as follows: The bellows is spread with the foot straps 6 lying below. One man stands on each footstrap. The footstraps may be omitted, e.g., when the lower part of the bellows is weight-loaded. The bellows is expanded by simultaneously pulling the handles upwardly. A vacuum is produced in the cells thus unfolded and outside air flows in through the suction holes 8. Now the jumping bellows l is effect. At the instant of the jump, or just before, the handles and foot straps 5, 6 can be released because the bellows takes considerable time to collapse. The mass of air compressed in the cells by the jump requires considerable time to escape through the suction holes 8. Hence, the jumping bellows will slowly collapse shortly after it has cushioned the falling load.

The bellows and the cells may be of any other shape desired, e.g., the bellows may have six vertical corners, or the cells may have the shape of downwardly tapering funnels.

Such embodiments are shown in Figs. 2 to 5. Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a jumping bellows having a central cell 9, e.g. of cylindrical shape, which is confined by a peripheral inner partition member. The space between this inner partition member and the peripheral wall of the envelope is divided into a plurality of outer cells 2 by partitions extending in vertical planes from the peripheral inner partition member confining the central cell 9 to the peripheral Wall of the bellows. The central cell 9 is larger than each of the outer cells 2, which are of uniform cubic capacity.

The top and bottom members 3 and 7, respectively, to which said partitions and peripheral wall are ailixed, may differ in shape from the contour of the peripheral wall of the envelope.

Obviously the above description of the location of the partitions and size of the cells refers to the bellows when in the fully inflated condition, not when collapsed.

This honeycomb arrangement of the outer cells 2 has the advantage that when a person falls not on the central cell, but on one of the outer cells, the impact will be cushioned not only by said one outer cell, but also by the two adjacent outer cells. In other respects the embodiment of Figs. 2 and 3 resembles that of Fig.1.

The embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5 is similar to that of Figs. 2 and 3 but has downwardly tapering cells. To this end the inner peripheral partition member and the peripheral wall of the envelope are formed with a downward taper and each of the outer cells 2 is laterally confined by two inclined partitions.

I claim:

1. In a jumping bellows, the combination of an envelope formed with apertured portions maintained open to the outside air, one of said portions being arranged at the center of said envelope and having a larger aperture than the others of said apertured portions, and partitions dividing the interior of said envelope into a plurality of cells each of which has as its outlet one oi said apertured portions of said envelope, the cell which has as its outlet said apertured portion arranged at the center of said envelope being larger than the others of said cells, said envelope and partitions being made of flexible material as to permit said bellows to collapse under its own weight and said apertures all being of a size to restrict .the rate of air escape on cll collapse.

2. In a jumping bellows, the combination of an em velope formed with apertured portions maintained open to the outside air, and comprising a peripheral wall, a top and a bottom, one of said apertured portions being arranged at the center of said top andhaving a larger aperture than the others of said apertured portions, and partitions dividing the interior of said envelope into a plurality of cells each of which has as its outlet one of said apertured portions of said envelope, said partitions comprising a peripheral inner member confining a central cell which has as it outlet the apertured portion at the center of said top, and plane side walls extending from said inner member to said peripheral wallof the envelope and confining in the space between said inner member and said peripheral wall a. plurality of outer cells of uniform cubic capacity, said central cell being larger than each of said outer cells and said apertures all being of a size to restrict the rate of air escape on cell collapse.

References Cited in the file of this paten UNITED STATES PATENTS 396,242 Simon Jan. 15, 1889 647,873 Perry Apr. 17, 1900 1,166,811 Bowers Jan. 4, 1916 2,985,432 Tucker a a1. Dec. 25, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 542,335 Great Britain -.t Jan. 5, 1942 

